ENERGY NEWS
12/11/2013
National Geographic, Nov. 22, 2013: [...]
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Nov. 11, 2013 (emphasis added): [...] Two major peaks in POC [particulate organic carbon] flux occurred over the last 18 mo of the time series [...] The peak POC flux in spring/summer 2011 was the highest recorded over the 24-y time series (Fig. 1D) [...] The daily presence of detrital aggregates on the sea floor did not exceed 15% coverage over the period from 1990 to 2007. The highest sea-floor coverage by detrital aggregates measured throughout the 24-y time series occurred between March and August 2012, when salp detritus ranged from <1% cover in early March to a high of 98% cover on 1 July (Fig. 1E). This was the only measurable deposition event of salps observed during the entire time series. Following this salp pulse, phytodetrital aggregates combined with some salp detritus formed another major deposition event beginning in late August and peaking in mid-September. This pulse covered up to 61% of the sea floor (Fig. 1E), the largest primarily phytodetrital aggregate peak recorded during the time series. [...]
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Other sealife now being impacted |
Study’s Supporting Information: Sea Floor Megafaunal Community Change [...] Over an 18-mo period beginning in spring 2011, the densities of epibenthic animals increased by nearly an order-of-magnitude and diversity was considerably lower. Major faunal changes included a substantial reduction in sponge and other sessile animal abundance, and by late 2012 three holothurian species were at the highest densities recorded since mobile megafaunal investigations began in 1989.
See also: "Weird things" happening on California coast: Previously unknown toxic algae blooms proliferating; Unprecedented mass of oxygen-poor water near shore -- TV: Mystery strandings of large squid covered miles and experts baffled... "essentially killing themselves, it’s just really weird" (VIDEO)
And: CBC News: Something very odd is happening in Pacific; Sea creatures acting strangely, species turning up where rarely seen -- Related to Fukushima crisis? -- L.A. Lifeguard: Used to be 2 shark sightings a year, now it's 2 a day (VIDEOS)
Related Posts
2. “Weird things” happening on California coast: Previously unknown toxic algae blooms proliferating; Unprecedented mass of oxygen-poor water near shore — TV: Mystery strandings of large squid covered miles and experts baffled… “essentially killing themselves, it’s just really weird” (VIDEO) December 9, 2013
3. Gov’t scientists unsure why giant fish washing up dead on West Coast, “testing tissue for radiation” — “One dead oarfish is odd, two is a pattern” — PBS: “After the Fukushima nuclear disaster, there were accounts of several washing ashore” October 24, 2013
4. NBC News: “Grisly disease decimating starfish populations… from Orange County to Alaska” — Scientists: Alarm as they began eating each other, then melting away — Similar problem on East Coast observed since 2011 — Now spreading at “scary” rate (VIDEO) November 2, 2013
5. Federal gov’t declares rare Unusual Mortality Event in So. California — 70% of all newborn sea lions may be dying — Testing for toxins, infectious agents (VIDEO) March 28, 2013